Best way to find speed of tide when stationary

LONG_KEELER

LONG_KEELER

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You are dossing in the cockpit when anchored and decide to find out the speed of the tide.
Do you...........

(a) Good enough to guess.
(b) Finally get up watch flotsum and guess
(c) Go to the bow, spit and then time and distance.
(d) Have a super sensitive log that will enable you not to leave the cockpit
(e) Ask a likely looking local passing by
(f) Find the nearest diamond and estimate
(g) None of these things. I'm not bothered
(h) Waiting for the latest gizmo from NASA to do it.
 
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We would just pour another beer and enjoy the view. The rate and set of the tide while not underway is a piece of information that is not needed.
 
When I first started cruising I had a piece of wood with a peg in it tied to a 100ft piece of line fixed to the pushpit, plus a Smiths stop watch in a rubber holder. I had a chart of speed & times. Could you not use that instead? That way you could stay in the cockpit with a glass of wine & not run up & down the deck dribbling in the sea like a drunk (y)
 
Daydream believer said:
When I first started cruising I had a piece of wood with a peg in it tied to a 100ft piece of line fixed to the pushpit, plus a Smiths stop watch in a rubber holder. I had a chart of speed & times. Could you not use that instead? That way you could stay in the cockpit with a glass of wine & not run up & down the deck dribbling in the sea like a drunk (y)
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Im a little surprised at some responses here. For me, an awareness of the rate and set of tide and/or current is a fundamental part of messin about in boats. Early learning in RYA courses and constantly practised.

As well as now, whats it gonna be doing as the day progresses. Still, each to their own........
 
The obvious answer is to get out the smart phone and check the App ?

Last season, during a DS Practical course, we were getting ready to leave a marina berth and I asked a candidate to tell me the direction of the tide and its influence upon how he planned to leave. He stopped dead in his track, took off his gloves, undid his LJ, undid his foulies to seek his constant companion for help.

Even one of the other candidates laughed at him and suggested that he look over the side.
 
Skylark said:
The obvious answer is to get out the smart phone and check the App ?

Last season, during a DS Practical course, we were getting ready to leave a marina berth and I asked a candidate to tell me the direction of the tide and its influence upon how he planned to leave. He stopped dead in his track, took off his gloves, undid his LJ, undid his foulies to seek his constant companion f.......
Click to expand...
I thought you were going to say he peed over the side and watched the trail.

Personally, I would generally not be ever so interested in the precise tide where I'm anchored, because the tide will be different 100 yards away.
But sometimes the question is more 'is it turning yet' or 'can we pull up the anchor and sail against the tide?'
 
capnsensible said:
Im a little surprised at some responses here. For me, an awareness of the rate and set of tide and/or current is a fundamental part of messin about in boats. Early learning in RYA courses and constantly practised.

As well as now, whats it gonna be doing as the day progresses. Still, each to their own........
Click to expand...

Perhaps it's zero now and will be zero as the day progresses? ;)

Richard
 
capnsensible said:
Im a little surprised at some responses here. For me, an awareness of the rate and set of tide and/or current is a fundamental part of messin about in boats. Early learning in RYA courses and constantly practised.

As well as now, whats it gonna be doing as the day progresses. Still, each to their own........
Click to expand...

Except that when not underway we tend to anchor out of the tide, so assessing flow in there and then irrelevant.

Done Corrycreckan, Luing, Cuan, Morbihan etc etc, the latter at peak 116 coefficient. All with thought. But never assessed flow when stationary - except when wondering how the heck to get out of Strangford Lough marina !
 
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